A mass stranding of pilot whales at Ruakākā Beach near Whangārei, New Zealand, ended with both success and loss on November 25, 2024. Conservation workers joined local residents in moving the marine mammals back to sea. However, four whales did not survive, including three adults and a calf. The operation required sheets to lift each whale. A local Māori group led the rescue efforts, staying through the night to watch for restrandings. Their cultural knowledge proved vital to the operation. The group performed a cultural ceremony for the deceased whales the next day, maintaining their traditional view of whales as … Continue reading New Zealand’s Pilot Whale Stranding at Ruakākā: More than 30 Saved, 4 Lost, and the Māori-Led Response